Spoke tightener



Mar. 3. 1925. 1,528,140

C. W. WINTHER I "sPoxE' TIGHTENER Filed March 2s-,- 1925 2 SheetsQSheet1 I INVENTOR tw/P/srmu w W/NTME'R Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN W. WINTI-IER; OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.'

SPOKE TIGHTENER.

application filed March 26, 1923. Serial N... 627,756.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN 'W. WIN- THER,a citizen of the United States,-and

resident of Fresno, in the county ofFresno, State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spoke Tighteners, ofwhich the following is a during the hot weather the spokes havedried upor shrunk resulting in a shortening there-J of thus resulting inthespoke pulling away from the felloe and causing an annoying. the wheelto 001- threaded opening l5 inwhich is mounted rattle and the liabilityof lapse.

It is the objectof my invention to provide a device by means of whichthe metal forming the rim at .the point where the spoke abuts againstthe inner side of the rim can be depressed or forced inwardly againstthe outer end of the spoke, thereby forming a tight oint therebetweenand overcoming the aforementioned disadvantages.

Another object is to provide a cheap,

simple and eflicient device for the above purpose. a v

A still further object is to provide a device of the above characterwhich maybe carried in the tool box and which may be used withoutremoving the wheel from its place of use.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter and, while I haveshown and will describe the preferred form of my invention, I wish itunderstoodthat Ido not limit myself to. such preferred form but thatvarious changes and adaptations may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit of my invention;

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof Figure 1 is aside elevation, partly broken away, of a fragment 1 of a vehicle wheelshowingvmy device in position thereon ready for use and also showing itseffect.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a fragment of a wheel showing mydevice in operation thereon, partly broken away for clearness ofillustration.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my device In the use of as it appearswhen positioned for use, with the wheel omitted.

Fig.4 is a side elevation of the body of my device.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 1., Fig. 6 is a top plan of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the lock used wi h my device.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail,

' partly in elevation, of a portion of my device. I I

Referring to the drawings, my device comprises a substantially inverted.U-shaped body member 10 the free ends of the legs of which terminate insubstantially T-shaped heads 11 and 12. Provided cent-rally of the crossmember 13 of body member'10, to extend parallelwith the legs thereof,'isa boss 14 centrally of which is provided a screwthe operating screw 16in threaded engagementherewith. The lower end 17 of screw '16 is reducedin size and revolubly mounted into groove 20 to hold die 18 positionedfor use. It will be understood that various sizes of dies 18 will beprovided .to suit various sizes of rims'upon' which the device is to beused, the aperture 19 being varied accordingly. I

As shown in Fig. 7 my locking member comprises a substantially U-shapedmember 22 which is of "a size and configuration such that the longerlegs will straddle the legs of the body member 10 and rest upon theupper face of the heads 11 and 12, as best shown in Fig. 3 and in dottedlines in Figs. 4 and 5.

In the operation of my device the screw 16 will first be rotatedvto'elevate die 18 to the desired height; the device will then bemounted upon a rim with the legs thereof on opposite sides of the felloeand parallel with the spoke it is desired to tighten; the aperture 19 inthe die 18 will then be positioned to surround the end 23 of the spoke24; the lock 22 will then be passed under the rim to straddle the legsof body member 10 and the spoke 24, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, andpermitted to rest upon the .up-

per faces of heads 11 and 12; screw 16 will then; be rotated downwardlyuntil member 22 baragiiinst the under side of the telloe,

19A spoke tighte'n'ing device comprising a substantially 'U-shaped body-member adapted to be 'mou'ntedfto extend transversely of a felloe andhaving the free ends of the legs thereof tern'iin'at'ngin heads; alocking member adapted to straddle said legs beneath said felloe; a diecarried by "said body member adapted to be'moved toward or awayfrom saidfelloe to press the metal forming said felloe"downwardly into contactwith the end of a spoke.

2. A spoke tiglite'n'er comprising a sub" "stantially inverted U-shapedbody member havingthefree ends of the legs thereof ter "l'ninating inheads adapted to be mounted to straddlethe felloe of a wheel with saidfree ends extending radially andinwardly;

a substantially"U-shaped leckingunem'ber" adapted to be mounted tostraddle the free ends ofs'aid bodymem ber te rest upon said" heads atthe inner side o't" the'itelloe; a

'screw'revolubly mounted in said body; mem

"bei-to extend parallel withthe legs thereof;

' a; hollow dierevolubly mounted en the free end' ot said screw 'adaptedto bear against the 'outer 'face 0mm 'felloe.

Asp'oke tightener for use w th wheels having 'steel felloes andwoodenspokes comprising a U-shaped'body member adapted "to be mountedupon saidfelloe, the free ends of the legs thereof extending radially" onoppositesides thereof; a locking"member ;adarbted'to be mounted tostraddlesaid legs "'elubly mounted in said body 'menrber cen-' "and :1spoke beneath said felloe; a' screw revt rallyth'ereofand eiitendingparallel with i said le'gs; a die ca'rriedbysaid screw adaptrounding theupper end of said"'spoke,

ed to engage the port on of said felloe surwh'eieby said screwis'iiotated down- Wardly' said locking member will engage" the inner faceof the felloe and said die will force the portion ot'the "telloe engagedthereby dowrrw'ardly into contact 'with the end of said spoke.

L A- spoke tightener comprising a body member adapted to be mounted uponthe fellne of a wheel to straddle the same transversely; means adaptedto be mounted betweenthe underside of said felloe and said body member;an operating screw mounted in said body member to extend radially ofsaidfelloe' when positioned "for use ;"a die detachably mounted upon the"lower end of said screwfwherebyfwherr said screw is rotated said 'dleW111 act to depress a portion 01"- said fe'lloedownwardly.

"55A spoke tightenn'ig device comprising a body member adapted to be'm'ounted to straddle a felloe a locking member" adapted" tostraddlesaidbody membenbeneath said felloe; supporting means forsaid'lock-'ingmember carried by'said body member; a die detachably mounted insaidbody member adapted to be mo'ved towards or away tr'om said felloeto press the metal forming said felloe'into contact with a spoke.

' 6. A spoke tightener comprising a body member adapted tobe"mountedjtostraddle thetelloe of a wheel transversely thereof; alocking member, adapted to straddlesaid body member and a spokebf'saidwheel beneath the'itelloe andbeing supported by said body member,adapted to 'engage'theunder side of said felloe to prevent upwardmovement of said body member; a die carrred'by said body member" adaptedto be moved towards or awayfromsaid felloe to'pressthe metal forming thesame 'intocontact with the end of said spoke.

7. A" spoke tightening dev'ce comprising a body member adapted to bemountedto straddle the felloe of a wheel transversely; aloclzi'ng memberadapted to be mounted upon said body'meinber beneath said'felloe tolimitupward movement of said body member relative to said wheel; a diecarried by "said body member adaptedto be moved towards or away fromsaid fel'lee to press the metal forming the same into contact withtheend of said spoke.

In witne'ss'that I claim the'foreg ing I havdhereuntoset my hand this15th day of March, 1922.

CHRISTIANWV. W IN'THER.

